Former footballer Ashley Cain, who appeared in MTV’s The Challenge: War of the Worlds, has shared that he and partner Safiyya Vorajee have decided to split up after what was a “devastating and heartbreaking year” for them.
The couple suffered the loss of their baby daughter, Azaylia Diamond Cain, following a tough battle with leukemia. In a message sharing his separation announcement, he said his and Safiyya’s split happened months ago, but they wanted to keep to themselves for a while.
He also mentioned that their journey together as they endured the painful loss of their daughter has bonded them forever.
Ashley Cain reveals separation from partner Safiyya Vorajee
On Wednesday, Ex on the Beach UK and The Challenge star Ashley Cain shared a message on his Instagram Story in which he revealed he and his partner Safiyya had separated “months ago.”
“After a devastating and heartbreaking year, Safiyya and I decided to separate a few months ago. This was an incredibly tough decision which we needed to keep to ourselves for some time, to give us the opportunity to figure out our own journey privately,” he wrote.
He went on to explain that over the past few months, they remained “the closest of friends” and still spent time together daily, saying they “will love, care and support” one another “forever.”
“We are bonded by our powerful journey together, by the eternal love we have for our daughter, and our passionate commitment to her foundation,” Ashley said to close his message.
Cain praised Safiyya in heartfelt Mother’s Day post
This past weekend, Mother’s Day arrived in the United Kingdom, with Ashley Cain among those showing love and gratitude for the women involved in his life who are mothers. His mother, grandmother, Godmother, and baby’s mother, Safiyya, appear with Ashley in the first image he shared.
“They are strong, they are loving, they are caring and they always give 100% to the people who need them. It’s safe to say, I wouldn’t be who I am today without these women and I will love and appreciate them forever,” Ashley shared in his caption.
A second image has Safiyya with Ashley’s grandmother at the memorial site for Ashley and Safiyya’s baby daughter, Azaylia. Ashley indicated it was “a hard picture to put into words.”
“A broken mother and grandmother on Mother’s Day. Loving, missing and yearning with all their hearts for their daughter and granddaughter, at her resting place. It also shows my other grandmother’s resting place, above my daughters who we lost last year,” he wrote.
Separation announced before the anniversary of daughter’s death
While Ashley said his and Safiyya’s separation occurred months ago, the news of their split arrived this past week, less than a month before the anniversary of their baby daughter’s passing.
They lost Azaylia at eight months old on April 25 of last year, following her courageous battle with acute myeloid leukemia. Ashley and Safiyya provided regular updates throughout their daughter’s battle and their journey after her passing.
An emotional funeral service arrived, which included many people lining the streets to pay their respects and show support for Azaylia’s courageous battle.
Following their daughter’s passing, Ashley and Safiyya launched The Azaylia Foundation to help others going through similar struggles.
The website’s mission statement says that the foundation seeks “to support families that are fundraising for treatments that may not be readily available on the NHS and provide children with memorable experiences as they fight cancer.”
According to The Sun, a source indicated that Ashley and Safiyya are still living together, but the romantic part of their relationship has ended.
“No one knows how something so tragic can affect a couple, and it’s been incredibly painful for them to make this decision,” the source said.
The Challenge Season 38 is TBA for MTV. The Challenge: All Stars 3 premieres on May 11 on Paramount Plus.